Information About the Area from our Experts

Public Transportation

There are six stations in Pasadena for the Gold Line light rail of the Los Angeles Metro, giving residents access to Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. The Pasadena Area Rapid Transit Systems serves Pasadena exclusively and the Los Angeles Metro’s Foothill Transit, LADOT, Metro Local, and Metro Rapid all serve residents in the Pasadena Area.

Traffic & Commuting

Four major freeways pass through Pasadena, connecting the city with Los Angeles, Long Beach, and the Bob Hope Airport. Due to the large number of freeways and highways that pass through Pasadena, traffic flow can be very heavy and rush hour traffic is often heavy and slow moving. For example, in order to get from Pasadena to Los Angeles, a 15 mile drive, usually takes a 30 minutes.

Schools & Education

The Pasadena Unified School District serves Pasadena as well as a number of surrounding cities and includes 16 elementary, two K-8, three middle, and four high schools. Many of the high schools offer unique opportunities with the local colleges, including programs with Pasadena City College. There are also private, parochial, and montessori schools in Pasadena.

Recreation

The Pasadena Civic Center and Pasadena Playhouse offer a number of concerts, plays, and other shows year round and the Furious Theatre Company is another small theatre company that showcases concerts and plays as well. The Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena Museum of History, and the Pacific Asia Museum all offer extensive collections in their respective specialties. The Rose Bowl Aquatics Center is a massive public swimming center that was once used by Olympic training teams. Lastly, Pasadena is home to the Rose Bowl Stadium, which is home to the annual Rose Bowl Game.